About the list: A "guilty pleasure" is something, such as a film, a television program or a piece of music, that one enjoys despite feeling that it is not generally held in high regard. It should be obvious from the list that I wasn't born as a slender-limbed Ambassador with an exquisite taste. It has been a long and winding road to get there. The themes of the songs are almost exclusively about love and as Frank Zappa so elegantly put it “Broken Hearts Are For Assholes”. Anyway, I'm too old to be embarrassed. Here's the list of 10 best guilty pleasure songs. To start the videos just click on the picture (opens in a new window).

No

Cover

Song

Artist

Notes

1

Where Do You Go My Lovely

(1969)

Peter Sarstedt

This is my favorite song. It demands explanation. The song contains everything a good song should contain. Besides, I'm a nostalgic and sentimental idiot. The song is almost too much even by my liberal standards.

2

Sealed With A Kiss

(1962)

Brian Hyland

"So, let us make a pledge to meet in September and seal it with a kiss". The song may very well belong in the "puppy love" department. I don't care. I love this song unconditionally.

3

Time In A Bottle

(1972)

Jim Croce

"If I could save time in a bottle / The first thing that I'd like to do / Is to save every day / 'Til eternity passes away / Just to spend them with you". The song deals with mortality and time. It's over the top.

4

What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted

(1966)

Jimmy Ruffin

If you loose all of what's left of your dignity and spend your waking hours loathing in self-pity. This is the song for you. However, there are other miserable bastards out there. Great miserable song.

5

Two Fine People

(1975)

Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens (born Steven Demetre Georgiou) made tons of great songs before he converted to Islam and became Yusuf Islam. Convertion to any religion is bad for music. This is a pre-convertion song.

6

Baby I Love Your Way

(1975)

Peter Frampton

Wonderful exchange of views from the movie "High Fidelity" when Marie LaSalle makes a cover of the song. Rob Gordon: I used to hate this song. Barry, Dick: Yeah. Rob Gordon: Now I kinda like it. Barry, Dick: Yeah.

7

Go Now

(1965)

The Moody Blues

This song is composed by Banks and Bennett. It was first recorded in 1964 by Bessie Banks, and later became associated with The Moody Blues. Somehow it got stuck on my cerebral cortex. I don’t know why.

8

Careless Whispers

(1984)

George Michael

Frequently played during the “death rattle” (the last 15 minutes before closing time). I once asked a female fellow student to dance. She replied: No offense, but I have one principle. I don't dance during the “rattle”.

9

Woman In Love

(1980)

Barbra Streisand

I know, I know, I know… Terrible. But, … it's a great song. I don’t play this album too often. It’s all in the past. Or is it? In fact, I played the whole album a year ago. It stands the test of time due to personal reasons.

10

Hello

(1983)

Lionel Richie

What can I say in my defense? Perhaps three things. First, I was young and vulnerable. Second, it was the eighties (everything was terrible back then). Third, personal reasons. I ask for your forgiveness.